Embankment terracing door for hopper cars

ABSTRACT

A TERRACING DOOR ASSEMBLY FOR A HOPPER CAR HAVING A LOCKING MEMBER THAT IS ADAPTED TO LOCK THE DOOR IN BOTH ITS CLOSED AND OPEN POSITIONS. WHEN THE DOOR IS CLOSED, THE LOCKING MECHANISM ENGAGES THE TOP AND BOTTOM PORTIONS OF THE DOOR. IN THE OPEN POSITION, THE LOCKING MECHANISM ENGAGES THE BOTTOM PORTION OF THE DOOR. A LATCHING MECHANISM IS PROVIDED TO HOLD THE LOCKING MECHANISM IN ITS LOCKING POSITIONS WITH THE LATCH ARRANGED SO IT CAN SELECTIVELY BE HELD AWAY FROM ENGAGEMENT WITH THE LOCKING MEMBER.

Oct. 26,- 1971 s. R. DAMY EMBANKMENT TERRACING DOOR FOR HOPPER CARS Filed Dec; 27, 1968 I'll.

hid [#705 Oct. 26, 1971 s. R. DAMY 3,614,932

EMBANKMENT TERRACING DOOR FOR HOPPER CARS Filed Dec. 27, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent 3,614,932 EMBANKMENT TERRACING DOOR FOR HOPPER CARS Sergio Rene Damy, Apartado Postal 2041, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico Filed Dec. 27, 1968, Ser. No. 787,379 Claims priority, appliclagoiMexico, Jan. 27, 1968,

Int. Cl. B61d 7/18 7/26; E02f /22 US. Cl. 105-239 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention is concerned with a terracing door for a railroad hopper car and more particularly with such a door that can be easily opened and closed yet can be positively locked in both its open and closed positions.

An object of this invention is a terracing door that can be locked at its top and bottom when in its closed position.

Another object is a terracing door that can be locked in its open position.

Another object is a locking mechanism for a terracing door in which the upper and lower locks can be released and applied simultaneously.

Another object is a terracing door in which the locking mechanism is held in the locked position by a latch means.

Another object is a latch means for a locking mechanism which latch means may be held in an inoperative position.

Other objects may be found in the following specification, claims and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention is illustrated more or less diagrammatically in the following drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a partial perspective view of a terracing door mounted in the discharge chute of a hopper car with parts omitted for clarity of illustration;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged side elevational view of a portion of the terracing door of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along line 33 of FIG. 1 with some parts broken away;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged side elevational view of the terracing door frame and door showing the door in the closed position; and

FIG. 5 is a front elevational view of the structure of FIG. 4 with the door removed for clarity of illustration.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT FIG. 1 shows a terracing door installed in the side of a discharge chute of a hopper car. The terracing door assembly includes a generally rectangular framework 11 which may be secured to the side 13 of the chute in any conventional manner such as by welding or riveting. The framework includes side members 15. A rod 17 is secured to and extends between the side members adice jacent the lower ends thereof. A tube 19 is journalled on the rod 17. A pair of arms 21 fit over the tube 19 and are secured thereto as by welding. The arms are spaced apart and are located adjacent the ends of the tube. Sleeves 23, each having ratchet portions 25 at one end thereof, fit over the ends of the tube 19 with the ratchet portions located at the outer ends thereof. The sleeves 23' are fastened to the arms 21 by means of keys 27. Coil springs 29 are positioned over the sleeves 23 with one end of each spring held in position by a .T-bolt 31 and the other end of each spring connected to a notch 33 in an arm 21. A cover 35 is provided for each spring with the covers being welded to vertically extending deflector plates 37 which are fastened to the side members 15 of the framework 11. A door 39 is secured to the arms 21 as by Welding. The door has side plates 41 which, in the closed position of the door, fit between the side members 15 and the deflector plates 37. Stub rods 43 extend outwardly from the side plates 41 of the door 39 in the manner shown in FIG. 4. The ratchet portion 25 of each sleeve 23 is provided with a first stop Wall 45, a notch 47 and a second stop wall 49.

A locking member 57 is provided for the door. This locking member includes a pair of arms 59 which are secured to a rod 61 which in turn is journalled to the side members 15 of the framework 11. Formed as part of each arm and located adjacent the rod 61 is a hook portion 63 having a notch 65. When the door is in its closed position, the notches 65 are adapted to engage stub rods 43. A projecting cover 66 is attached to each side member 15 to receive a stub rod 43. A rod 67 is pivotably attached to each arm 59 and extends downwardly along the side member 15. The other end of each rod is pivotably connected to a ratchet portion engagement member 69. A stub handle 71 is attached to and extends outwardly from the free end of each arm 59. The second stop Wall 49 of the ratchet portions may also engage the member 69 to limit opening of the door 39.

A cover plate 79 is afiixed to the outer surface of each of the side members 15 of the framework 11. Located inside this cover plate is a latch member '81 which is pivotably connected to a side member at 83. Each latch member is provided with a notch adapted to engage a stub handle 71 of a locking member arm. A slot 87 is also formed in each latching member. A bolt 89 extends through each slot and a nut '91 located on the outer end of each bolt holds a replaceable friction plate 93 in position to bear against the latch.

The use, operation and function of this invention are as follows:

The terracing door is shown in its closed position in FIG. 4. When it is desired to open the door, a nut 91 holding a latch 81 in engagement with the arm 59 is loosened and the latch 81 is raised until the end of the slot 87 contacts the bolt 89. The nut 91 is then tightened to press the plate 93 against the latch 81 to hold it in the raised position. The latch 81 on the opposite side of the door is then raised and secured in a similar manner.

With the latches 81 in their raised positions, the stub handles 71 of the locking member 57 are free to move. The locking member may then be swung upwardly about its rod 61 to unhook the stub rods 43 of the door 39. Upward rotational movement of the locking member 57 also lifts the rods 67 and the ratchet engaging members 69 out of contact with the first stop walls 45 of the ratchet portions 25. With the locking member in its fully raised position, the Weight of the material in the hopper car will overcome the biasing force of the springs 29 to swing the terracing door 39 to its open position which is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

To lock the terracing door 39 in the open position so that it will remain open in the position shown in FIG. 1 even after the hopper has been emptied and there is no material to counteract the closing bias of the springs 29, the locking member 57 is returned to its lowered position. Lowering the locking member moves the rods 67 and the ratchet engaging members into the positions shown in FIG. 2 where the ratchet engaging members engage the notches 47 in the ratchet members 25, thereby locking the door in its lowered position.

After the hopper is emptied, the door 39 may be closed by again lifting the locking member 57 which lifts the locking rods 67 and ratchet engaging members 69 out of the notches 47. The biasing forces of the springs 29 acting against the arms 21 will return the door to the closed position. When the door is in the closed position, the locking member 57 may be lowered to engage its hook portions 63 with the stub rods 43 of the door and to move the ratchet engaging members 69 into contact with the first stop walls 45 of the ratchets. The nuts 91 may then be loosened to allow the latches 81 to move into locking engagement with the stub handles 71.

Whereas a preferred form of the invention has been shown and described, it should be understood that modifications, changes and alterations may be made to this preferred embodiment by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. Therefore, the scope of the invention should not be limited to the preferred embodiment shown and described herein.

What is claimed is:

1. A terracing door assembly for a railroad hopper car including:

a frame connected to a side of a discharge chute of a hopper car,

a door hinged to the lower portion of said frame with the door adapted to swing about said hinge from a closed, generally upright position to an open, generally lowered position,

means to simultaneously lock the upper and lower portions of the door to the frame when the door is in its closed position, said means including a locking member having an arm positioned on each side of said frame with said arms pivoted to the frame adjacent the top thereof,

hooks associated with said arms and adapted to engage the free end of said door,

rod means pivotally connected to said arms and adapted to be moved into and out of locking engagement with said door upon rotation of said arms,

and latches to hold said arms in their door locking position,

said latches being pivoted to said frame.

2. The terracing door assembly of claim 1 further characterized in that ratchets are formed as part of said door adjacent said hinge and said rod means engage said ratchets in both the open and closed positions of said door.

3. The terracing door assembly of claim 1 further characterized in that means are provided to lock said latches in their door locking and open positions,

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 364,618 6/1887 Woodhead 105308 X 646,195 3/1900 Summers 105-251 903,295 11/1908 Larsson 105-251 1,127,929 2/1915 Skidmore 105252 1,743,579 1/1930 Straw 105-239 1,848,901 3/1932 Neikirk 105-251 2,042,528 6/1936 Hosceit 105255 ARTHUR L. LA POINT, Primary Examiner H. BELTRAN, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

